An exhaust driven turbocharger may typically be used with an internal combustion engine to compress air delivered to the engine's intake air system. The turbocharger may include a compressor wheel that charges the intake system and that is driven by a connected turbine wheel. The compressor may include a housing that collects and channels intake air, and the turbine may include a housing that channels exhaust gases to drive the turbine, which as a result rotates the compressor. The compressor housing may be spaced apart from the turbine housing by a central bearing housing containing bearings that rotatably support the shaft connecting the turbine wheel to the compressor wheel.
The compressor wheel, the shaft and the turbine wheel may rotate at speeds that approach hundreds of thousands of revolutions per minute. In addition, the turbine wheel operates in a high temperature exhaust gas environment, wherein heat may accumulate and be transferred to the other turbocharger system components. Under these harsh, and increasingly demanding operating conditions, the lifespan of a turbocharger is expected to match that of the engine with which it operates. To accomplish that challenge, the design of a turbocharger and its components must be robust to survive as expected, while still being cost effective. As a result, a turbocharger is designed to exacting tolerances and standards. Even small changes in the design or shape of a component can have significant impacts on the performance of a turbocharger system. Accordingly, proven designs provide attractive candidates for reuse in new system applications.